Just when we seem to be unraveling one clue, another emerges and complicates everything. This situation goes much deeper than we anticipated, and I doubt we'll receive any further clues from this point." Racheal sighed, massaging her temples. In recent days, they had engaged in significantly more detective work than they ever had before.
"With just two days left, we must complete what we began and leave this place while we still can. Racheal is correct; we won't receive any further clues from here. The only certainty is that whatever was inside these canisters transformed Trevor from an adorable cat into whatever he has become now. Additionally, we also know that these worms appear to require this liquid within their early stages, in order to survive," Micheal concluded, capturing the team's curiosity, particularly with the latter part of his statement.
"In their early stages? What makes you say that?" Bai asked, his curiosity piqued.
"The first undead creatures we encountered were the Creepers, characterized by the Octo-worms perched atop their heads. These transfer the worms into the heads of their victims. It is important to note that they are not as strong or fast as the Reapers and Scrapers. They only move during the day, remaining dormant at night, they also have some sort of attraction toward blood. This behaviour may be due to the fact that at that stage, the worm has not fully merged with its host's body, limiting its access to the brain's full capabilities. They require energy from the sun to act as a catalyst for this process, and when night falls, this energy dissipates, prompting them to enter hibernation or torpor until morning." Micheal reflected, presenting insights that the others had overlooked, his words gradually helped them grasp the broader perspective.
"Next, we move to what may represent the subsequent phase of the Creeper stage: the Reaper stage. At this point, the worm has completely integrated with the host's brain and can now exert full control over all bodily functions, eliminating the need for sunlight to aid its processes. Consequently, it begins its evolutionary journey, leading to noticeable physical changes. During this stage, the worm also initiates reproduction, possibly due to the realization that a single worm may not be sufficient to manage the complexities of evolution independently."
"The next stage is the prime form of the infected, known as the Scraper. At this point, I would assume that, given we haven't encountered any other monsters, this is the final stage of the process. The Scraper is designed more for combat than for disseminating the worm to others, contrary to our initial assumption regarding the mastermind's objective. That's also why there were multiple worms within the body of Scraper we killed. The further down the line of evolution, the more worms needed to facilitate the process," Micheal added, pausing as he finished speaking. His eyes scanned the faces of his teammates, who were still processing this influx of information.
"You should seriously consider a career as a detective; are you perhaps a descendant of Sherlock Holmes?" Bai exclaimed in disbelief, his mind struggling to comprehend how Micheal could have figured all of this out so effortlessly. What kind of deductive skills did he possess?
"It's incredible how you can contemplate ideas like this; it's so impressive that it feels almost unsettling." Hei also supported his brother, his expression reflecting a similar confusion as that of his sibling.
"I'm not entirely sure how to explain it; I just can. Anyway, did everyone understand what I said?" Micheal asked with a shrug; what others considered utterly perplexing was merely routine for him.
"Yes, I believe I understand. To summarize, you're saying that the Creepers primarily aim to infect more individuals, while the Reapers have a dual role of infecting and eliminating people. The Scrapers, on the other hand, are mainly focused on combat but also have the ability to infect. This makes sense, as if an entire town were to be infected, within days, you could have a formidable army of Scrapers capable of overpowering advanced military forces in mere minutes. That's quite frightening," Henry nodded, demonstrating his grasp of what Michael had conveyed.
"Indeed, I may not be completely certain, but if I am correct, then the urgency to resolve this situation has significantly increased." Micheal responded with a grave demeanor; the deeper his understanding grew, the clearer it became just how dangerous the situation was.
"Having recognized the severity of the situation, what steps should we take next to address it?" Racheal inquired, prompting the others to turn their attention to Micheal.
"For the moment, let us explore the final section of this floor and then proceed upstairs to find our answers." Micheal proposed, after careful consideration, once they completed this floor, they would ascend to the top floor to confront whoever was responsible and deal with him decisively.
The team discarded the canister on the ground and proceeded to leave this section, making their way toward the final area: the head scientist's private lab. Upon their arrival, they discovered that the door was secured with an encryption system that necessitated the retinal scan of the Head Scientist.
"The head scientist? Isn't that Dr Grey? If he's dead, then we won't be able to gain access. I could attempt to hack into it, but that would consume too much time, and encryptions like this typically have a kill switch that could detonate the room if it detects my hacking attempt." Bai contemplated, his gaze fixed on the retinal scan before him. As a hacker, he was skilled in matters like this, so he understood that a large facility such as this would undoubtedly have sophisticated measures implemented to thwart hacking attempts.
"If we are unable to enter th—"
CLICK
The door swung open unexpectedly, causing the team to take a defensive stance, their weapons trained on the entrance with caution. It was no mere coincidence that just as they discussed entering the room, it had opened on its own.
"Mike, you are aware that this is a trap, aren't you? I hope you're not going to propose that we head indoors." Hei stated with composure, his gun still directed at the entrance where his gaze remained steady, mirroring that of the others.
"The person watching us clearly intends for us to
enter and explore what lies within, yet it may very well be a trap, so..." Micheal paused before replying, turning around to pick up a ceramic cup that rested on the ground beside someone's ear. He turned to face the door and threw the cup into the lab.
BANG!
The cup soared into the room, only to shatter upon hitting the ground, scattering its fragments across the floor. While some might ponder the rationale behind this action, the others grasped it immediately.
"No lasers; thermal vision confirms that. It also confirms there are no living beings in the lab. I'll go in; you guys stay outside. If anything happens, finish this," Michael said before lowering his gun. Just as he was about to step into the lab, he felt a hand grip his shoulder.
"You can't go in alone. I will go in with you; the rest can stay here," Hei said, then walked past Michael into the lab.
"Please keep watch here; we'll return shortly." Micheal shook his head and addressed the others before entering the lab as well.
"Be careful," Racheal called out to Micheal who paused and turned to her.
"I will." He then turned back and went in.
The laboratory radiated opulence, featuring gleaming marble countertops, elegant silver apparatus, and deep, dark wood shelves filled with leather-bound volumes and unique specimens. A grand, polished ebony workbench occupied the center of the room, surrounded by an array of advanced gadgets and enigmatic machinery. A plush, black leather chair was positioned nearby, stacked with notes and empty coffee cups. The floor-to-ceiling windows provided a breathtaking view of the city skyline, while a row of humming servers and cutting-edge computer screens illuminated the room with a vibrant array of colors.
"Certainly suitable for a lead scientist," Michael remarked, recognizing the opulence of this laboratory. Based on the layout and the array of equipment displayed throughout the room, he realized that this was a unique advantage. Setting this thought aside, he chose to explore and see if anything intriguing might catch his eye. He strolled over to the gadgets, casting a quick glance at Hei, who was engrossed in examining some canisters filled with Prawns beside the curtains.
"Um, Bai, could you come check out something over here?" Michael called out after realizing that the computer system before him was password encrypted.
"What seems to be the issue?" Bai entered with a cautious look, clearly indicating that he would have rather stayed outside.
"Come see if you can crack this encryption," Michael replied, stepping aside for Bai to approach with a smile. Hearing that he had a chance to showcase his skills, Bai's eyes brightened, glowing with pride.
"This is quite simple; just give me a moment, and I'll solve this quickly." Bai chuckled as he began working on the encryption, his fingers dancing across the
keys with both vigor and expertise.
"Hmm, looks suspicious," Hei's voice came from behind them, prompting Micheal to turn around with curiosity. He saw Hei running his hands along the body of the canister, as if searching for something.
"Keep up the good work, I'll be back," Michael said to Bai, giving him a pat on the shoulder before pivoting and heading over to Hei.
"Did you discover something?" He inquired as he arrived next to him.
"I have a hunch that this canister might be fake. Freshwater prawns, which are used in the drunken prawn dish, typically have claws that are lighter than the rest of their body. However, these claws are darker, which is unusual. Additionally, if you look closely at the ground, there are subtle markings that suggest this canister could have been moved. Yet, upon inspection, it feels firmly imprinted on the ground," Hei replied, continuing to examine the canister for any clues.
"Impressive observation! I am curious, how did you come to know about the color of the prawn's claw? That's not common knowledge." Micheal commented with a grin, his gaze fixed on Hei's with a teasing hint of doubt.
"Bro, I'm Chinese, of course I know this. Plus, since we were kids, Bai always wanted to open a restaurant. Of course, this apocalypse had other plans for us. Tsk, sometimes I wonder if the universe is jealous of us" Hei replied with a grin, unaware that his words made
Michael fall silent for a few seconds.
"I wish you guys the best in establishing your restaurant. For now, let's see if your predictions hold true. What specifically are you looking for?" Micheal smiled and inquired as he stepped back to examine the canister closely.
"In an average movie plot, there ought to be a button on the body of the canister that opens a secret room," Hei replied with a thoughtful expression, his words conveying a strong sense of certainty about his assertion.
"Hey Mike, I think I figured it out; I told ya it was easy." Bai's enthusiastic voice resonated from the control system's location.
"Well done, take a moment to look through and see if anything catches your eye. I've mentioned this countless times already: this isn't a film, so you need to stop acting like you're the protagonist." Micheal responded to Bai with a nod, then turned back to Hei and spoke with a sigh, perplexed by how, after everything that had transpired, Hei continued to behave as if they were in a film.
"Stop jinxing this for me, Mike. I'm the main character," Hei replied with a snort, his hands still exploring the surface of the canister, seemingly searching for his supposed button.
"Hmm, what's this concealed within the source code? Tsk, the fool actually hid a Konami code. Let's discover what it does." Bai quietly murmured to himself as he noticed something while skillfully working his magic on the P.C. He stumbled upon something intriguing that compelled him to enthusiastically type away, seeking to unravel the enigma laid out before him.
"If I point a gun at your head and pull the trigger, you will die; if I stab you in the heart, you will die; if I throw you into acid, you will die. So why do you still believe it's just a movie?" Micheal commented, participating in the quest for the elusive button.
"Please be quiet and observe, I am sure..."
WHIRRRR
Right before the duo's eyes, the canister suddenly trembled, its interior glowing red as it rotated, one side moving in a circular motion to unveil a secret room concealed behind. Hei and Micheal exchanged stunned glances, their guns lifted and poised for action.
"It was successful; our villain concealed the command prompt to access this hidden door within the source code. Naturally, I noticed it immediately, as I possess exceptional skills." Bai appeared behind the duo with a smirk, his eyes gleaming as he gazed at the secret door. It was clear he was taking credit for this moment, having been the one to open it.
"I told you, at least I was correct about one thing; I am undoubtedly the main character." Hei entered the secret room, a broad grin on their face, only to be greeted by a scene that was both shocking and completely unexpected.
"Henry! Racheal! I think you guys might want to
see this" Bai's alarmed voice echoed from the room, prompting those outside to hurriedly rush in with concern.
"What is it, what's the pro...." Henry rushed in, but as soon as he saw what was set up inside the room, his voice faded into silence, and he and the others stood there, staring in astonishment at the object before them.
"What on earth is this?" Micheal muttered as he stared at the expansive room filled with countless enormous worms, each connected by small tubes through which the worms were transported into several separate tubes. Drones of different sizes were also spread across the room, showcasing the use of the machine parts they had discovered on the logbook.
"He isn't merely assembling an army to conquer the world; he's orchestrating another apocalypse," Michael muttered in disbelief, his thoughts swirling in chaos at that moment. He was astonished, his mind swirling with vivid images and forecasts of the chaos that could ensue if the contents of this room were unleashed upon the world.